{"id":264711,"date":"2020-11-06T12:16:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T12:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.burgesspetcare.com\/when-dog-meets-dog-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen\/"},"modified":"2020-11-06T12:16:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T12:16:29","slug":"when-dog-meets-dog-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.burgesspetcare.com\/blog\/dogs\/when-dog-meets-dog-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"When dog meets dog \u2013 what\u2019s the worst that can happen?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to a dogs\u2019 meet and greet there are essential rules of canine engagement and dog communication that we humans need to understand to ensure things go smoothly. This is even more important if you have a reactive dog who sees other canines as a potential threat.<\/p>\n

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When a puppy grows out of the gregarious \u2018I love everyone and everything and can I be your bestest friend\u2019 stage and matures into a young adult dog, the way they interact with other canines can change \u2013 and it\u2019s often a bit of surprise when it happens. While some dogs retain their friendly demeanour when an unknown canine comes into view, others may choose to completely disregard them, preferring to walk straight past with no interaction. Other dogs may suddenly become reactive \u2013 growling, lunging and using all kinds of fierce sounds from their warning barks vocabulary. The question is, why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a dog uses aggression, canine behaviour experts agree that it\u2019s almost invariably because they think that they\u2019re under some form of threat \u2013 to their personal safety, to take away something (or someone) they value highly, or by preventing them from doing something they really want to do, which causes frustration.<\/p>\n

Dog training expert and presenter of TV\u2019s\u00a0It\u2019s Me or the Dog<\/em>,\u00a0Victoria Stilwell<\/a>, says: \u201cLeash lunging, leash reactivity and leash aggression are all behaviours that are caused by a dog feeling restrained, frustrated and uncomfortable in a social situation while attached to a leash. In normal circumstances, an unleashed dog would be able to put sufficient distance between himself and a fear source. But if the same dog is leashed and unable to increase that distance, he will react or behave defensively in the hope that the fear source will go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overreacting to the situation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to canine behaviour expert Sally Gutteridge, author of\u00a0Inspiring Resilience in Fearful and Reactive Dogs<\/em><\/a>: \u201cReactive behaviour is a sign that the internal state of the dog has changed and that the dog is dog suffering with an emotion such as stress, fear, frustration or anxiety. It is strictly speaking, an overreaction and can include lunging, barking, threatening or trying to get away. The exact behaviour type and reason for it will depend on the dog, their personality and capacity to cope.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, as dog owners, we often unwittingly contribute to the negative experience. Victoria Stilwell adds: \u201cThe anticipation of a problem tends to cause human tension, which is transmitted down the leash to the dog, effectively making the lunging behaviour worse. Dog and owner are then locked in a vicious cycle of tension and leash lunging that becomes hard to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Gutteridge\u00a0explains it like this: \u201cDogs communicate really well with each other when they have learned to and are given space to do so. A competently social dog will never go directly towards an unknown dog eye to eye, or even face to face. They would curve around and sniff. They offer signals that unless we watch really carefully will go unnoticed by us. A blink, a glance away, a lick of the nose can be a definite request for space and if the other dog is socially savvy, they will respect that, and everyone will stay happy. When a dog greets another on lead, the dynamics change quite a lot. First of all, they usually walk face to face towards each other, they then don\u2019t get the chance to curve around naturally for a sniff because of the physical barrier between them. That physical barrier really is as psychological as it is physical. The dog who is a little bit worried about other dogs will be really worried if they have a lead on. They will feel super vulnerable because they don\u2019t think they could escape from the other dog if something went wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freedom of choice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So what can you do to help your dog overcome the fear that causes them to overreact? Sally says: \u201cIt\u2019s all about freedom you see, freedom to move, freedom to go the other way and freedom to stay safe. if they are on a lead don't force them to walk towards or meet other dogs.\u00a0The only true way to help a stressed dog is to help them to decompress by ensuring their needs are met, teaching them to be calm, empowering them via positive behaviour modification and building their natural personal resilience in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Canine behaviour experts agree that he best way to tackle reactivity and work towards calm, polite meetings is by using positive reinforcement and giving your dog plenty of time to adjust their emotional response and, therefore, behaviour. Here are some practical tips that you can follow:<\/p>\n